How do I know what graphics card Skyrim is using?

[majamyra]

I have a laptop with Intel® HD Graphics 4000 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M.
When I installed Skyrim for the first time (a couple years ago) it automatically set my graphics settings to low. Then I enabled it to use my NVIDIA card in the NVIDIA Control Panel and it automatically set my graphics settings to high instead.
Since then I think I've reinstalled the game a couple of times (also installed and uninstalled many mods, including ENB mods and other graphic mods) and whatnot and now when I start the launcher it automatically sets the graphics to low again, which makes me worry It's not using the NVIDIA card any more.
(I have all the latest updates for the card, etc.)

 

I've checked that the NVIDIA Control Panel is set to use Skyrim with the NVIDIA card (both TESV.exe and SkyrimLauncher.exe).
In the drop down menu for choosing graphics adapters in the Skyrim launcher I have two identical options "NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M". I've read that you should not always trust that the launcher is showing the right card, though.
The line in the SkyrimPrefs.ini file that identifies the graphics card, "sD3DDevice", is set to "Intel® HD Graphics 4000". There is also a RendererInfo.txt file that says "Renderer Device Information:

Intel® HD Graphics 4000". I've tried to manually write "NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M" in the .ini but it just changes back to the Intel card whenever I start the game.
Also, when I used an ENB mod there was a text in the upper left corner of the screen whenever I started Skyrim and it said the the game was using the Intel® HD Graphics 4000 card. (I also tried the optimus fix but it still said it was using the Intel card.)

So which information should I trust? Is Skyrim using the Intel or the NVIDIA card?

Thanks.

Edited January 25, 2015 by majamyra

[soupdragon1234]

The line in the SkyrimPrefs.ini file that identifies the graphics card, "sD3DDevice", is set to "Intel® HD Graphics 4000". There is also a RendererInfo.txt file that says "Renderer Device Information:

Intel® HD Graphics 4000".

Then thats what its using.

 

I've tried to manually write "NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M" in the .ini but it just changes back to the Intel card whenever I start the game.

You can try making the .ini file read-only (right click > properties > read only box) so the launcher can't overwrite it, alternatively launch directly from the SKSE shortcut, assuming you have it.

Ultimately the best solution would be to disable the integrated graphics in the BIOS to force the OS to use the alternative device only.

[majamyra]

Thanks for the reply.
I managed to get it to work yesterday but today I got awful frame rates, even though it said I used the nvidia card in Skyrimrefs.ini, and I got stuck on loading screens when trying to fast travel or just trying to leave Markarth.
I'm going to reinstall the game and put it into a different directory since I've read that some mods works best if installed somewhere other than the steam directory.